1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for joining wooden plates in a side-by-side relation, and more particularly to an apparatus capable of automatically joining a plurality of wooden plates having varying lengths and widths to produce a heading for a barrel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A method is known in which a plurality of wooden plates are joined in parallel abutting relation to produce a flat wide plate. However, the known method involves complicated manual operations. This is particularly true in the case where sealing materials are to be inserted between the adjoining wooden plates. Such manual operations necessarily lead to excessive manpower requirements and thus are of a time-consuming nature.
Particularly, when the widths as well as the lengths of the wooden plates vary, such difficulties are further increased, even accompanying some danger in such manual operations. More particularly, when manufacturing a heading for use in a barrel, the number and positions of nails to be driven into the adjoining wooden plates should be varied depending on the position of the adjoining wooden plates relative to the intended end plate. This further complicates the aforesaid manual operations with accompanying workmanship errors.
In addition, when elongated sealing members, such as cattails, are to be inserted between the wooden plates before they are joined, such sealing members are apt to be tensioned when nails are driven, so that there sometimes takes place premature rupture or breakage of a sealing member, producing a defective joint. Time-consuming operations result for reassembling or repair of such defective joints.
Accordingly, it has been long desired to automate the operations in joining plates side-by-side and to solve various problems experienced with the prior art wooden plate joining operations.
It is accordingly a principal object of the present invention to provide an automated apparatus for joining a plurality of wooden plates in a side-by-side relation, despite the varying lengths and widths of the wooden plates.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an automated apparatus for joining wooden plates in a side-by-side relation, in which the number and positions of nails to be driven into the adjoining wooden plates are automatically determined under a given program.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automated apparatus for joining wooden plates in side-by-side relation, in which a sealing member is automatically inserted between the adjoining wooden plates before joining, without any constrained tension being induced therein, upon joining.